¿Managua podrá tomar agua del Lago Xolotlán? - Nicaragua

A growing city demands greater sewage treatment. The plant that receives all the wastewater from the capital, Managua, is undergoing an expansion plan. Lake Xolotlán is the second largest lake in Nicaragua and Central America. It covers an area of ​​1,049 square kilometers. Its depth is 20 meters. For more than 80 years, it received the city's wastewater, due to a disastrous decision by then-President José María Moncada, which brought the body of water to the brink of death. When all seemed lost, in 2009, a glimmer of hope emerged with the start of operations at Managua's monumental wastewater treatment plant. Change began at the site where the water circulating through the sewers arrives, and a light at the end of a long road was already visible. On this tour of this work of modern engineering, which treats the contaminated water of a capital city advancing in development, Its high performance in preserving water resources was confirmed. Cleaning Lake Xolotlán, in Managua "First, we count the water line during the sedimentation stage. All the suspended contamination settles, and we remove it. There, we remove 45 percent of the contamination. Then we go to the biological process, which is the filters, where microorganisms are responsible for treating the wastewater," stated Javier Núñez, manager of the treatment plant, managed by the Nicaraguan Water and Sewer Company (ENACAL). With several stages for an adequate process, the plant has an automated part and has become multifunctional, to the point of generating the same energy with which it operates. “Something important and positive is that everything that is being withdrawn into the water is being used. We are generating biogas. In the short term, I estimate we will begin installing five microturbines of one megawatt, totaling 200 kilowatts of installed capacity,” the engineer shared. An expansion plan is currently underway due to increased demand. A US$184 million loan was secured with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). Of that amount, US$64 million is earmarked for the expansion of this complex; this means that more than 65,000 families will be able to access water. Will it be possible to drink water from the lake? “Today, we process approximately 180,000 cubic meters, and we have expanded to 240,000 cubic meters, and, God willing, we will begin the bidding process at the end of this year,” explained Jader Grillo, ENACAL's operations manager in Nicaragua. Furthermore, the sewage system that reaches the plant is over 2,000 kilometers long. "We have expansions to the treatment filter unit and, evidently, to the secondary sedimentation phase," Grillo explained. Several questions arise: When will the lake's sanitation be complete? Will nearby communities be able to drink water from Xolotlán? "The plant has been operating for more than 11 years, and we have seen the impact. That means we must allow the lake to go through a process, allowing it to continue to clean itself. The impact of the garbage and the wastewater on the lake will be less," explained María Jocabed Gutiérrez, technical manager of the plant in Nicaragua. Implementation of the Plan for Lake Xolotlán, Managua TN8, with the help of experts from the Center for Aquatic Resources Research, a unit of the National Autonomous University (UNAN-Managua), boarded a boat and assisted in the execution of a rapid study to determine the state of Lake Xolotlán. With the appropriate equipment, they took several samples and determined that "it has 8.74 milligrams per liter of dissolved oxygen. In other words, the water is quite oxygenated. Processes are taking place, and microalgae are producing oxygen through solar radiation and the mechanical action of the wind," revealed Dimas García, a chemical and environmental engineer. Alongside these enormous efforts to save the lake, work is being done on the tourism sector to align with local development guidelines. "It's a great attraction; it has great potential. It would generate an enormous impact on improving the quality of life of families, because they could benefit from tourism." said Mara Stotti, director of tourism development in Nicaragua. In fact, there is already a future tourism project to continue expanding the sector so small and medium-sized businesses can continue to thrive. Read the full article at: https://www.tn8.tv/nacionales/managua... TN8 on Facebook:   / comunidadtn8​​.  . TN8 on Twitter:   / canaltn8​​   TN8 on Instagram:   / comunidatn8​​.  . TN8 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comunidadtn8?.... #Nicaragua #News #managua